


Two-Thirds of a Castle, Take Me Home

by vices_and_virtues



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-09
Updated: 2014-02-09
Packaged: 2018-01-11 19:19:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1176899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vices_and_virtues/pseuds/vices_and_virtues
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi is the young prince of Wall Sina, a kingdom falling into financial despair due to a series of economic troubles and scandals. To save the land, his parents have arranged for him to be married to the princess Petra Ral of Wall Rose, a larger, wealthier, powerful kingdom not far. Levi is naturally opposed to the idea, as bad marriages are the reason they are failing in the first place, but he has no choice; marry Petra, or fail his people. However, Levi has good reason to think that the king and queen of Rose may have less-than-honest intentions concerning the marriage.<br/>While struggling to find a way to get out of this marriage, Levi finds interest in the princess's maid-in-waiting, a girl called Hanji Zoe, who, despite her noble background, is not at all the lady she might appear to be, in more ways than one.<br/>As time runs out, Levi comes to realize this plot is bigger than he'd ever thought, with more at stake than just his kingdom's economical status. He has important choices to make, they all do, and all he wants is to come out of it alive.</p><p>If home is where the heart is, then he is a long way off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two-Thirds of a Castle, Take Me Home

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I took it upon myself to write [this](http://myshittylevihans.tumblr.com/post/72254475039/slightly-au-levihan-idea) lovely prompt, mostly because Tudor England is my favorite thing and I've never written for that time period before.  
> And please note, the prompt is just a prompt! This is not exact at all, there are quite a few things I'm going to be changing around, either b/c they make more sense in regards to the time period, or just because that's how I fly. Okay? Okay.  
> And if there are any references to things that you may not understand (hoods! bowling green! tennis!), if you would just Google them, that'd be great. As a thing, if I ever mention a hood, it's a French one, which looks something like [this](http://www.theknightshop.co.uk/catalog/tudor-french-hood-blue-p-2443.html). And as a thing, maid-in-waiting and lady-in-waiting are basically the same thing, but the latter is married and the former is not.

“I won’t,” he says simply.

“You must," his parents say simultaneously. Levi internally rolls his eyes.

He's sitting at one end of the small table in his father's private room, his father the king seated at the other as his mother stands behind him.

"I will not," he repeats. "You haven't already forgotten the last time. Or the time before that."

"Levi," his father sighs, and for the first time he notices how tired they look. “Wall Rose is a wealthy kingdom, you know this.”

“So were we.” Levi is not moved. “Until my first marriage. Then my second. Then my third.”

“Yes, well.” His mother places one delicate hand on the table. “We have good reason to think this one will work out.”

At this, he raises an eyebrow, skeptical. “Why?”

“They just have no reason to attempt to… take advantage of us,” she says simply, shrugging. “We have good farmland, and loyal subjects, and merely lack an impressive treasury. With their help, we could regain our fortune, and our kingdom Wall Sina will once again prosper.”

"Mother, I almost _died_ the last time," Levi insists. "I was going to be _killed_. Father was accused of stealing from their treasury! I’m not going.”

His father looks pained. “Levi.”

“No.”

“Levi, think about the kingdom,” he continues, massaging his temples. “We’re up to here in debt, people can’t afford to keep their farms or lands going for another year, not without outside help. An alliance with Wall Rose will help. Please.”

Levi grits his teeth. Are his parents even trying to see how this looks like from his end. “I haven’t even met her yet,” he protests. “I haven’t even seen her. We haven’t written. And you want me to marry her?”

“You’re not marrying her straight away, child,” his mother says gently. “You’ll meet her, we’ve already arranged for your stay at the palace so you can get to know her first.”

He blinks, then frowns. “And when am I leaving?”

“Two days,” his father admits. “I know it’s soon, but it’s the best for everyone.”

“And you’re serious?” Both of his parents nod, and Levi stands to leave. He’s done. “Fine, whatever.” He’s irked, for sure, but he doubts throwing a tantrum is going to get him his way. He’d never been one for tantrums anyway.

"You may choose your men," his mother tells him at the last second, like it’s some sort of compromise. "A small party, please. But you would do well to take Dr. Jaeger's child, that page, Eren. He's from Wall Rose, correct? He might like to see his mother again. And young Master Bozado as well; I heard from his father he’s betrothed to a maid at that court. Do you understand?"

Levi rolls his eyes (she’s saying he can choose his own party yet is still telling him who to choose), but takes note of this regardless.

“And let us know before dinner, we need to send word for them to prepare for you,” she calls, just before he shuts the door behind him.

* * *

 

Three and a half days later (it had been a full day’s ride from Sina, so they’d ended up spending the night in an inn, gross), Levi is passing through the gates of this new palace, nodding at the guards. It’s larger than his, and seems to have more staff and entertainment. Behind him, he hears Gunther make a noise of approval, which starts a debate between him and Erd on whether or not this court is one for falconing or bowling, then Auruo boasting that he could best them all in any sport. Eren is silent, likely deep in thought. Nothing new on that front.

It's a long, narrow road, and soon he sees a boy and a girl, around thirteen, standing at the start of the path that leads up to the stables. They wave their arms as Levi and the others approach, and then they start calling, “Eren! Eren!” So they're his old friends.

Levi turns to look at the youngest of his party. Eren’s grinning, he’d never seen the kid smile so wide, and without so much as excusing himself, rides ahead to meet his friends. When he reaches them, he just about falls out of the saddle into their waiting arms.

Levi raises an eyebrow at this display but says nothing, just continues on to the stables. A girl is waiting inside, and he’s about to tell her that Eren’s outside when he notices that she’s quite a bit older than the kid, around his own age actually. She doesn’t curtsy until he has dismounted his horse and come to stand right in front of her, and when she does she swoops low and holds it, like a dancer. "Your Highness, the grand prince of Sina, I presume?" she says, sickly sweet with a venomous undertone as she rises.

“Yes,” he says. “Yourself?”

“Mistress Hanji Zoe, from Klorva,” she answers curtly. He doesn’t like the way she looks him over, strangely curious. It makes him feel like a cow about to be sent to the slaughterhouse. Gross.

“Is there something wrong?” he finally asks coldly, and one of her eyes twitches slightly. If she says something about his height, he decides, he’s getting right back on his horse and going home, princess or no.

But she doesn’t, instead replies with a question, “Would you like to see your apartments first, or the princess?” Her eyes drift over him to his men, and her expression changes slightly. She steps away from him. "Master Bozado, I didn't think to see you again so soon.”

“What?” Auruo seems to be harassing the stable hands (nothing new on that front) when he looks over. “Lady Zoe, well. I did not know you served at this court.”

“You should have,” she says, and now she looks irritated, pushing her spectacles up her nose. “My father told yours this. I was right there, as were you.”

“I must have forgotten.” He smirks and she rolls her eyes, turning away.

“The princess will not be appearing publicly until the evening meal, so I shall only take your Highness,” she goes on, tapping her foot on the cobbled ground and beckoning two young pages over. They come running, almost shoving each other out of the way to be the first to bow to him. “Jean and Marco can show your men to your rooms. And Armin, whenever he gets back in.” She waves them off. “You go on ahead now.”

When the rest are gone, she leads him out of the stables, heading down a different path from the others. “Shorter route,” she explains.

“Ah.” He doesn’t really care. “So it’s you who is betrothed to Auruo?” He isn’t really asking, just confirming.

“We aren’t betrothed yet,” she says. “Our fathers have yet to settle on a dowry for me, but I don’t mind. I like this court, and I would hate to have to leave Petra--excuse me, the princess--for a new lady to serve."

"They're aren't any princesses at my court," he says. "Just me. And my mother only has a small household."

"Well, I’d like to prolong any marriage for as long as possible, anyway.”

“Ah.”

They continue on in silence until they reach the princess’s apartments and the guards throw open the doors to announce him. Almost immediately, the young girls put aside their sewing and rise, before simultaneously curtsying to him, too perfect to not have been rehearsed. He nods at them, but Lady Zoe hasn’t even slowed down.

In a matter of moments, they’re stepping inside the princess’s privy chamber. She is standing by a bookcase when they enter, and gives a little scream then a laugh, a merry laugh. “Goodness, Hanji, you would have done well to have knocked,” she says, and turns to him, going down into a pretty curtsy. “Prince Levi,” she says breathlessly.

He bows to her. “Princess,” he murmurs. “It is nice to meet you.”

She laughs again, and rises. “Have a seat, have a seat,” she insists, going around the table to sit in her own chair. He takes the one across from her, and because he doesn’t know where to look, just focuses on Lady Zoe at the hearth, heating them wine.

"We've prepared a masque for you," the princess says suddenly, and he looks back at her. "We'll be in costume, and shall perform it before dinner. We've been practicing for a week."

"How nice," Levi says, and then, "Thank you," to Lady Zoe when she places a goblet before him.

“Yes, thank you," the princess echoes. "Hanji--excuse me, Lady Zoe to you--is my maid-in-waiting, I don't suppose she's told you?"

"She's to be betrothed to one of my men," he replies shortly. "Auruo Bozado."

Princess Petra blinks, and clasps her hands on the table. "Oh."

“Indeed.”

It’s silent for a long, drawn out minute, when the princess tries again. “Well, I hope you enjoy the masque. There will be dancing after. That’s when my parents will announce our betrothal.”

* * *

 

The masque is interesting enough--the maids of the household are all in disguise, each wearing identical gowns of either gold or silver and glittering masks with long curved beaks. It’s easy enough to pick out the princess however, seeing as she’s among the smallest and the only one with such bright hair peeking out from under her hood. One maid (later revealed to be Lady Zoe when Auruo unmasks her during the suitors dance. How he'd guessed it was her, Levi isn't sure) starts everything off by reciting a long passage in Latin that he’d only understood half of--something about eagles’ wings and soaring--but things really only pick up after his betrothal to the princess has been announced by the king, and the rest of the court joins the dancing in celebration.

Yes, things pick up when he notices the princess standing by the main door after the announcement with the Lady Zoe, both girls holding their hawk faces and hoods and laughing about something or the other. They certainly make quite the pair, the princess in gold and her maid in silver. She sees him first, and almost immediately sombers.

“Your Grace,” she says, and pauses, clearly unsure of how to curtsy with the items in her hands.

“It’s fine,” he says dismissively. She's got short hair, he sees, unusual of a princess. “You are not dancing?”

“If you would like to, of course.” She smiles, if unsurely, and offers him her hand after gracelessly putting her hood on her head and tossing the mask who knows where. He takes it after a moment. “Everyone just seems so excited of news of my marriage, I’d like to have a moment of alone time before dinner.” She turns to Lady Zoe. “You don’t mind?”

“No, go dance,” she says, tying her own hood on. “I can-”

“Dance with your betrothed.” Levi could have sworn Auruo appeared out of nowhere, it’s the only way he could have approached without any of them noticing.

Lady Zoe’s expression hardens, her light smile turning to a frown. “I already gave you a dance,” she says, turning away and going to the doors. “And we are not betrothed, you know that.”

“That was just the suitors dance,” Auruo counters, following her and reaching for her arm. “And this should be practice for when we are married, my soon-to-be lady wife.”

Levi is all set to turn away and leave them to settle this themselves when Lady Zoe sends her elbow into Auruo's ribcage, grabs his arm and crouches, sending Auruo over her shoulder and flipping him flat on his back on the ground. She scowls. "If I don't want to dance, I shan't, and if my soon-to-be lord husband doesn't like it, so be it," she hisses right in his face, before standing, dusting her hands off, and continuing on her way.

Levi is stunned. "What," he states flatly. He doesn't even know who he's asking, or if he’s asking. Princess Petra laughs nervously, and gently frees her hand.

"I'm terribly sorry, your Highness," she says apologetically, sweeping him an especially pretty curtsy. "And Master Auruo, I'm sorry as well. I should go talk to her."

He watches as she picks up her skirts and hurries off, and wonders if they'd just witnessed the same thing. Someone of the court must have seen that, yet no one is coming over. _Does she do this regularly?_

Finally, when some of the shock has worn off, he goes to check on Auruo, peering down at him. “You’ve bit your tongue,” he informs him. Auruo doesn’t answer, just moans something that sounds like, “That girl is mad.” Levi is inclined to agree.

* * *

 

Levi isn’t entirely sure how he’d ended up here.

He’d just been looking for the princess, since he’d missed her at dinner although he’d said he’d sit with her, and somehow he’d ended up going up a wrong staircase or turning the wrong corner or something like that. At any rate, he’s lost, now alone in a narrow hall that he’s pretty sure isn’t anywhere near her rooms.

He’s trying to figure out just how to go about retracing his steps when he hears a deep voice behind one of the doors. It sounds like the king.

Figuring he’d know where his daughter is, or at the very least could dispatch a servant or a page or something, Levi goes to the door. Then he hears a woman’s voice, the queen’s, answer, and he pauses. Because she’d just said the name of his kingdom.

“They were once quite wealthy,” she’s saying. “But very unstable now. You know, the child barely escaped an assassination attempt the last time he was to be married.” She clucks her tongue. “Quite sloppy work, I’d say. No subtlety at all.”

Levi moves closer, hand dropping from the knob as he listens. “I don’t see any reason to kill the child,” the king now replies, and Levi thinks his heart skips a beat. Are they seriously debating _murdering_ him? What the _hell_. “They’ve got good lands, but as you said, dear wife, their kingdom is financially unstable. It shouldn’t be any trouble to merely transfer their power to us. Kingdom Rose-Sina, eh? We could work together and everything will--”

Suddenly, he hears heels coming down the corridor, and he doesn’t even bother trying to hide, just steps away from the door and hopes he can bluff his way out of it. Lady Zoe comes around the corner alone and holding a sheath of papers. She starts to nod a greeting at him when she notices the door behind him. She frowns, then dips a curtsy.

“What are you doing here?” she asks in a measured voice. “These are the servants quarters.”

“I--” he starts to say, but realizes that the voices behind the door have stopped, and that saying he’d heard the king and queen behind that door is not believable in the least. Not to mention he doesn't want them to know he'd heard. “I was looking for the princess.”

“Her apartments are clear across the palace, and not even on this floor,” Lady Zoe says, tipping her head like this is all very curious. “But she isn’t there anyway, she’s playing tennis. She was wondering where you were, actually. Do you know where the courts are?”

“If you could show me.” He looks to the papers in her hand, frowns. She smiles tightly, rolls them up and hides them in the folds of her skirt.

“I’m running an errand,” she replies easily. “See where I just came? If you continue down there and take a left, you’ll be near the kitchen. Someone there will take you.”

With that, she curties again, like she’s dismissing him instead of the other way around, and so he nods his head at her and goes.

When he goes down to the courts like she had told him, he finds the princess, playing tennis with Auruo, just the two of them. She calls off the game when she sees him and comes to the spectators box, smiling at him just as sweet as always. She tells him it’s quite a nice surprise he’d come to see her play, and perhaps, if he knew where Hanji was, they could all play a merry game together.

That’s when he knows she hadn’t been looking for him at all, and that Lady Zoe had lied, and that maybe, just maybe, he should not have come to this court at all.

He doesn’t tell the princess any of this, however. He just tells her he’d just come to watch, and spends the rest of the afternoon in the spectators box, tallying points and pondering over what he’d heard behind that door. _It's just like the last time,_ he thinks. _Just like the last time_.

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably going to end up being five chapters or so long, just because I like longer chapters. If I cut length down, maybe close to ten.


End file.
